Care UK demonstrates its commitment to the NHS
Date: 04/06/2010
In a clear demonstration of its commitment to the NHS and to patient choice, Care UK has announced today that it has secured approval to provide services for NHS patients at 3 separate sites.
Care UK is finalising arrangements on a 25 year lease to continue to operate the Barlborough NHS Treatment Centre in Derbyshire; has conditionally obtained ‘Any Willing Provider Status’ to continue providing diagnostic services at High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire; and has secured preferred bidder status to take over the running of the Eccleshill NHS Treatment Centre near Bradford.
Care UK’s Managing Director - Health Care, Dr Mark Hunt said:
“We are enormously proud of our record of delivering the very highest standards of care. Our centres have built an outstanding local reputation for exceptional levels of patient satisfaction, excellent clinical outcomes and zero cases of hospital acquired MRSA.
We have made a long term commitment to being part of the continuing provision of real choice for patients and are delighted that we have secured these opportunities to continue to provide great services as part of the NHS family.”
All three facilities were originally opened as part of the first wave of independent sector contracts which the Department of Health set up to help improve quality, cut waiting lists and increase efficiencies in the NHS. As with other NHS hospitals, patients will not pay for services at the centres. The NHS will pay Care UK for the procedures it carries out on the same basis as it pays any other NHS hospital.
Barlborough and High Wycombe will be the first centres of their kind to operate without a guaranteed activity contract, their future success being entirely dependent on Care UK’s ability to attract patients on their record of clinical quality and customer satisfaction.
“As the largest independent provider of both primary and secondary care services to the NHS, Care UK is confident that it can continue to bring real value to the NHS to help it address the quality and efficiency demands that it will increasingly have to face.
Treatment centres such as Barlborough have played a key role in helping PCTs to improve quality and hit targets for waiting times. Patients have come to expect to be seen and receive treatment much faster. Many of our centres see and treat patients within a few weeks of referral. I doubt patients will tolerate a return to the bad old days when someone could wait, in pain, for many months and even years for a replacement knee or hip. The concept of patient choice which these centres help deliver are now embedded in public expectations.”
This is also great news for the staff at the 3 centres as it means that 120 jobs will be secured at Barlborough, around 90 at Eccleshill and a further 20 at High Wycombe.”
